Country star plays Sept. 11 concert

What’s the dress code for this year’s Ingham Regional Healthcare Foundation gala at the Country Club of Lansing? It’s “patriotic casual,” according to board executive director Eric L. Sturdy Jr.

That’s not just because the event is taking place Sept. 11. It’s because the dinner will be followed by a concert by Lee Greenwood of “God Bless the USA” fame.

“We wanted to do more to involve the community, and the typical gala — the way a lot of nonprofits do them — is a black-tie, high-priced, high-end social event for businesspeople who want to network,” Sturdy said. “We said, ‘There’s enough of those; let’s tone ours down.’”

Part of the inspiration came from a donor who urged the foundation to “build upon the overall patriotism of the community.” The idea struck a chord with Sturdy.

When Greenwood’s availability date turned out to be Sept. 11, Sturdy said, “it naturally became an event involving first responders.”

A tri-county campaign (Ingham, Eaton and Clinton) was launched two weeks ago to collect nominations “for first-responders who go above and beyond” the call of duty, Sturdy said. Applications are being accepted www.irmc.org/ foundation. A committee will select the top 10 nominees for special recognition during Greenwood’s concert. One representative from each category — fire, police and EMS — will receive an award.

The gala reception begins at 4 p.m., with dinner at 5 and the concert at 8. A combination gala VIP/concert ticket is $250.

Tickets for Greenwood’s concert are $30 general admission and $20 for lawn seats. They are on sale now at startickets.com.